1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to routing data in a network. More particularly, this invention relates to providing differentiated services using a multi-level queuing mechanism.
2. Background
Computer systems are increasingly becoming commonplace in homes and businesses throughout the world, and are increasingly becoming interconnected via networks. As the number of interconnected computer systems in use increases, so too does the amount of data being transferred by the networks (also referred to as the network “traffic”). Typically, the speed at which data can be transferred over the network decreases as the amount of network traffic increases because more and more data is trying to be transferred over the same amount of network hardware. For some types of data (e.g., phone calls or video conferencing), it is important that the data not be delayed very much during transfer over the network, regardless of the amount of network traffic.
One solution to this network traffic problem that has been presented is the use of “differentiated services” schemes. Generally, the idea of differentiated services is that certain types of data receive preferential treatment over the network, causing it to be transferred over the network faster than other types of data. This preferential treatment can be obtained in a variety of manners, such as by paying a premium price. However, given the amount of data that is typically being transferred over devices in the network, any mechanism to implement differentiated services should operate relatively quickly so as not to impede the transfer of data. Furthermore, care should be taken to ensure that the data that is receiving preferential treatment does not exceed a preconfigured amount or rate (e.g., the amount or rate that has been paid for). Currently, there are no differentiated services implementations that provide quick and efficient handling of differentiated services data.
Thus, a need exists for an improved way to implement differentiated services.